Sources of Wisdom and Authority section 3

The Bible is not one book, but a collection of many books, by many authors.

The Old Testament contains a wide variety of literary styles that include law, history, prophecy and poetry.

The New Testament contains accounts of Jesus’ life, known as the gospels as well as the letters documenting the growth of the early church.

The Old Testament is divided to:

• Torah- First five books of Moses containing all the laws of Judaism, including the Decalogue
• The Prophets- The history books such as Joshua and Judges, and the books by the Prophets like Isaiah who believed they had a message from God to the people
• The Writings – poetry such as Psalms, wise sayings such as Proverbs and apocalyptic writings such as Daniel.

The New Testament is divided into:

• Four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which record the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. 
• The Acts of the Apostles, which records the history of the early Church from the ascension to St Paul’s arrival into Rome
• The Letters written by St Paul, St john, ST Peter, St Jude and St James to encourages and instruct early groups of Christians
• Revelation – An apocalyptic, prophetic book about the last things

• The Bible recorded the teachings of Jesus which shows Christians what to believe, how to live and how to make decisions
• The Bible records the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, which is the basis of the Christian faith
• The Bible contains the Decalogue, which are God’s basic guidelines on how to live
• The Bible reveals what God is like and what he does for Christians

St Pual said in his second letter to Timothy tht "All scripture is inspired by God"

Importance- The Catechism says that God is the author of Sacred Scripture, and so the Bible teaches without error God's saving truth. 

Catholics believe that:

• The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, which means that it comes from God and gives the truth and should be accepted and followed.
• God speaks through the Bible. showing his character and commands, so it should be followed.
• The Bible contains God’s law on how to behave, showing how God wants them to live, especially in the Gospels where Jesus teaches how to live a Christian life. 

Catholics believe that the Bible is not always clear in its meanings. True Catholic interpretation of the Bible needs help from the Church, which is given by:

• The apostolic Tradition
• The magisterium of the Church
• The Catechism of the Church
• Papal encyclicals
• Bishop’s letters
• Homilies by the priest

Fundamentalists believe that the Bible is not only the word of God but also, the words of God. It is the literal word of God. So, they see that every word in the Bible is the word of God.

Conservatives believe that the Bible is the revealed word of God but not his actual words. This means that they think the writers of the Bible were inspired and guided by God in what they wrote, but they used their own words. Conservatives see the Bible as a book about faith rather than a book about science.

Liberals believe that the Bible is words about God. They feel that the Bible writers were people who had their special insights of God, which were written in their own way. This means that there may well be mistakes or contradictions in the Bible, but ultimately what matters are the great truths about God that the Bible does contain.

Catholics believe that it is a source of guidance and teaching because:

It is inspired by the Holy Spirit, which means it comes from God and is therefore holy and authoritative because it gives God’s truths.

The Bible contains the teachings of Jesus on how to live the Christian life. Catholics believe Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity so what he taught has authority, which means that the Bible that records his teaching is a source of guidance. The Catechism says that since the authors were inspired by God and what they wrote has been affirmed by the Holy Spirit, so the books of the Bible teach the truth and are a source of guidance.

The Apostolic Tradition is important because it:

• Gives the Church the authority of Jesus
• Means the teaching of the Church is the teaching that was given to the Apostles by Jesus
• Guarantees that the teaching Catholics follow is correct, true faith 

The Apostolic succession is important because:

• It means that the Pope today has the same authority that Christ gave Peter
• It proves that when the Pope and the bishops give the teaching of the Church in the magisterium, they speak at the succession of the Apostles chosen by Jesus

The Magisterium is when the Pope and the bishops act as interpreters of the Bible and the Apostolic Tradition. Their task is to interpret the Bible for Catholics and define their beliefs of the Catholic Church.

• The ordinary magisterium is when the bishops teach what has always been taught.
• The conciliar magisterium is when the Pope calls a general council to decide teachings (e.g. Vatican II).
• Pontifical magisterium is when the Pope uses papal infallibility to decide a matter of doctrine.

It is important for Catholics because:

• There is no higher authority for Catholics than the magisterium. As the Catechism says, ‘the task of interpreting the word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the magisterium’.
• The magisterium gives Catholics answers to issues that did not exist in the time of the Apostles, for example same-sex partnerships, and so provides clear guidelines for Catholics on what to believe and how to behave as Catholics in today’s world.

The role of the Pope in the Catholic Church is to:

• Lead the worldwide Church and make sure it is cared for
• Organise the magisterium and make sure it is kept up to date
• Appoint and ordain new cardinals and bishops, and make sure their teaching is correct.
• Give guidance to Catholics about current issues.

Pope John XXIII called the second Vatican Council to:

• Bring the Church up to date
• Open the Church to “the wind of the Holy Spirit”.
• Bring the leadership of the Church closer to the people

The council produced four documents

The Sacred Council proposed changes to worship:

• There was to be a new, simpler rite of Mass in the language of the local people
• The laity were to be allowed to do parts of the Bible readings and lead the bidding prayers
• Priests could face the people during Mass

Lumen Gentium proposed changes to the nature of the Church:

• Rather than a pyramid with the Pope at the top, the Church should be a circle, with the people joined together but with the Pope and the Bishops holding things together
• Every Christian is called to serve Christ, in the world, and all baptised are part of the priesthood
• The ordained priesthood is taken from the common priesthood to celebrate the sacraments.

Gaudium et Spes was addressed to the whole world and:

• Affirmed the human rights and dignity of each person
• Expressed concern over morals and values in the changing world
• Claimed that peace and justice are necessary for all, whatever belief
• Encouraged dialogue with atheists and secular groups for social action and change.

Dei Verbum said that:

• The Bible should be read by Catholics in their own language
• Catholics should read the Bible and apply its teachings to their lives.

The council also declared that:

• Protestants and other Christians should be known as separated brethren
• Catholics should pray with other Christians to work for greater unity
• Communion should not be shared without a greater unity of faith
• The fullness of the Church resided in the Roman Catholic Church, in communion with the Pope as the successor of St Peter.

Vatican II was important for Catholics because it produced the document ‘The Sacred Council’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium), which introduced a new, simpler rite of the Mass in the vernacular, the language of the local people.

The document ‘The Nature of the Church’ (Lumen Gentium) increased the role of the laity so that instead of the Church being like a pyramid, with the Pope at the top descending to the people at the base, now the Church was more like a circle as people joined together, but with the Pope and the bishops leading and holding things together in unity.

One meaning of the Church as the Body of Christ is that all Christians carry on Christ’s work on earth.

Another meaning is that Christians are united with each other and with Christ through baptism.

A third meaning is that just as the parts of the human body are interdependent, so in the Body of Christ all are interdependent and none is superior.

This is how the Church is described in the New testament and the Catechism

It means that Christ did not leave the Earth at his ascension; his body remained on the Earth in the Church

It explains the importance of Mass. BY sharing the consecrated host at Communion, Catholics share thein the Body of Christ and renew their membership of Christ’s body.

The Catechism says that the Church is the Body of Christ, and in the sacraments especially the Eucharist, Christ establishes the community of believers as his own body.

One reason is that it is what the New Testament calls the Church. As St Paul said in Romans 12, although there are many Christians, Christians are one body in Christ and so are members of one another.

Another reason is that calling the Church the Body of Christ shows how Christians can perform different tasks and yet be a unity. There can be different talents and tasks  and yet the Church remains a unity because all are working together as the Body of Christ.

Catholic Christians accept the authority of the Pope and believe it is the role of the Pope to rule and guide the Church and to pass on the true teachings of Christ.

Orthodox Christians reject the authority of the Pope and believe authority comes from councils of bishops or patriarchs acting together.

Protestant Christians believe the Bible is the sole authority, the Pope has no authority to decide on beliefs and Churches should be rules democratically.

The four marks of the Church are stated in the belief in the Nicene Creed which says that:

• The Church is One.
• The second mark is that the Church is Holy because it belongs to God.
• The third mark is that the Church is Catholic, which means universal.
• The fourth mark is that the Church is Apostolic because it was founded by the Apostles.

They are important because they remind Catholics that:

• There is one faith and the Catholic Church has preserved that faith
• The Church does not belong to any one nation or culture
• The Church traces itself back to the Apostles through the line of bishops
• The Church is holy, it comes from God

Catholics believe the Church is holy because:

• God made it, therefore it belongs to God, and so his Church is holy
• Christ gave his life to make his Church holy; his Church is devoted to God.

Catholic means universal. Catholics believe the Church is Catholic because:

• It was founded by the Apostles
• It received the Apostolic Tradition and so teaches what the Apostles taught
• The authority of St Peter has been passed down by the Apostolic Succession to the current Pope.

It means that the Pope today has the same authority that Christ gave to St Peter when he said in Matthew’s Gospel, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

The Apostolic Succession proves that when the Pope and the College of Cardinals give the teaching of the Church in the magisterium, they speak as the successors of the Apostles chosen by Jesus. This is important because it makes sure that the faith of the Church today is the same faith as that of the Apostles.

Protestants see the oneness of the Church as based on the Bible and Creeds. For Catholics and Orthodox it is based on the Creeds and Catechism.

All Christians agree the Church is holy

Protestants believe the Church is apostolic because it is based on the Bible. For Catholics and Orthodox it is also based on the Apostolic Tradition and the line of bishops

Mary is a model because:

• As the mother of Christ, she gave him the world: Catholics believe the Church should show Christ to the world
• She was the mother of Christ and the Church is like a mother to believers as they find new life through baptism from the Church.

Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary is a model of faith and charity. They also believe she had an immaculate conception. Another belief is the assumption, that Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven

Catholics believe Mary is a model of Christian discipleship because:

She obeyed God’s plan for her: she did not question what was to happen to her. At the Annunciation, Luke’s Gospel says Mary replied to the Angel Gabriel, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.’

Mary showed complete devotion to Jesus. She was always a help and support to her son, for example at the wedding feast in Cana when she told the people to ask Jesus and to ‘do whatever he tells you’. She loved her son and was with him right to the end, even sharing in his sufferings on the cross.

Mary is an example of faith because:

• She believed the message of the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation even though she had no proof that it would happen
• She trusted that God would make sure death was not the end for her son
• She belived that Jesus was God's son

Mary is an example of charity because:

• She was always ready to help people
• She gave up her own life to bear God’s son
• She continues to pray for those who need her help

She had an immaculate conception - this means that Jesus was totally sinless because his mother was born without original sin and his father was God.

At the end of her life, she was taken up to heaven instead of dying, so she did not suffer death like everyone else

The Catechism says: "Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church."

One source is the teaching and example of Jesus, as found in the four Gospels.

A second source is the natural law, which is deduced by reason from the created world.

A third source is the teaching of the Church.

Natural law is important for Catholics because it is the moral order designed by God at the creation. Also the Church teaches this is the natural order which must be followed by Christians.

The Catechism says natural law expresses the moral sense God has given people to see by reason the difference between good and evil, truth and lie.

The Church teaches that the voice of conscience is the voice of God, therefore Christians should follow it.

St Paul and St Thomas Aquinas taught that Christians should use their conscience as the final part of moral-decision making. Christians can go against the Church is their conscience tells them to do so, because it is God speaking to them.

Christians are doubtful of this because people can be mistaken about the voice of God.

Christians often use more than one authority when making a moral decision because:

Some Catholics might use their conscience to make decisions about same-sex marriage or supplying condoms to AIDS sufferings.

Others might use the authority of Jesus or the Church to reject their conscience.

The example and teaching of Jesus say nothing about modern issues such as contraception or same-sex marriage